The Arrest of Mahmoud Khalil and Trump’s Crackdown on Columbia University
- Matti Vayrynen
- 32 minutes ago
- 4 min read
As the Trump administration enforces its extensive immigration policy, the arrest of Columbia University graduate student Mahmoud Khalil by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has triggered nationwide controversy.
Khalil, an outspoken pro-Palestinian activist, is facing potential deportation despite being a green card holder with no criminal charges. For many, Khalil's arrest raises fears surrounding the Trump Administration's approach to immigration more broadly, as well as campus activism and free speech.
In 1995, Khalil was born in a Palestinian refugee camp in Southern Damascus, Syria, after his grandparents were displaced from their homeland in Palestine. He is an Algerian citizen and became a legal resident of the United States in 2024.
In 2022, Khalil moved to the U.S. on a student visa to pursue a Master’s degree at Columbia’s School of International and Public Affairs. Khalil has worked for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency and at the British Embassy in Beirut, both positions with rigorous security clearances.
Khalil became a prominent member of Columbia United Apartheid Divest (CUAD) and Student Justice for Palestine. Khalil organized and led many protests, including the 2024 Columbia University pro-Palestinian campus occupations. Khalil is known for his negotiation skills, serving as the lead negotiator of CUAD. Fellow activist Maryam Iqbal noted that he deescalated “when the university refused to negotiate in good faith.”
On March 8, 2025, Khalil and his pregnant wife Noor Abdalla, a U.S. citizen, were approached by ICE agents in their Columbia University apartment lobby. After verifying Khalil’s identity, agents instructed him to hand his keys to Abdalla. When she refused to leave Khalil, she was threatened with arrest. Despite providing his green card, agents were instructed on the phone to arrest him regardless. He remains detained at the LaSalle Detention Center in Jena, Louisiana.
The Trump administration has justified the arrest of Khalil on the grounds of his alleged ties to the terrorist organization Hamas posing a threat to national security. Tricia McLaughlin, a spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security, stated his arrest was “in support of President Trump’s executive orders prohibiting anti-semitism.”
A lawsuit filed in Manhattan federal court accuses Khalil and other pro-Palestinian activists at Columbia University of functioning as a “Hamas’ propaganda arm in New York City.” Further, Mark Goldfeder, a lawyer at the National Jewish Advocacy Center alleges there is evidence of his “material support of and coordination” with Hamas. Despite these allegations, no evidence has been made publicly available, furthering criticism from those who oppose Khalil's arrest.
The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) has come forward in support of Khalil. Ben Wizner, director of the ACLU’s speech, called the arrest “unprecedented, illegal and un-American” and a violation of the First Amendment.
In response to the arrest and expulsions at Columbia University, several alumni have protested by shredding their diplomas, criticizing the university’s compliance with the Trump administration. The Trump administration's decision in March 2025 to cancel $400 million dollars in grants and contracts to Columbia has raised concerns the university is prioritizing funding over protecting students’ civil rights.
Demonstrations have been staged in support of Khalil and other pro-Palestinian activists who have been arrested. For instance, Jewish protesters organized inside Trump Tower in New York City, demanding Khalil’s release.
The arrest of activists suggests to many that the line for detention and deportation has grown increasingly blurred under the Trump administration. Critics see these developments as evidence that political beliefs and activism are now criteria in enforcing immigration policy.
The arrest of Khalil and other pro-Palestinian activists may discourage international students from expressing beliefs that contradict the U.S.’s foreign policy interests. Many warn such self-censorship could limit diverse perspectives within academic institutions.
Furthering these concerns are reports of pro-Israel private groups using facial recognition software and other means to report campus protesters to federal authorities. These actions raise significant debates surrounding privacy and ethical concerns, as they involve the collection and analysis of individuals' biometric data without consent. This technology is subject to error, potentially leading to misidentification and legal consequences.
Further, the use of this technology grants private entities an unprecedented amount of power, an issue the Trump administration has already been criticized for. This may limit the ability for government accountability and oversight, as these private entities are subject to much less scrutiny.
Given the president has expressed that Khalil’s arrest will be “the first of many,” critics say this signals an administrative attack on free speech that will lead toward authoritarianism. According to the Freedom House, at least 55 countries have used the restriction of movement, including deportation to “punish, coerce, or control people whom they view as political threats or opponents.”
Khalil’s arrest represents a turning point in ongoing debates over immigration, campus activism, and civil liberties. If the Trump administration continues to punish political activists regardless of their immigration status, they risk only reinforcing the narrative that their agenda poses a threat to democracy. How the nation responds to the administration’s crackdown on political dissent will have a lasting impact in years to come. Ultimately, Khalil’s arrest sets the stage for a groundbreaking historical development.
Kommentare